UCR feared missing Nepalese have used the institution as a “screen” to enter the country

The authorities of the University of Costa Rica (UCR) state that they now suspect the four Nepalese who went missing last weekend is that they have applied for a course cooperation agreement as a “front” in order to enter the country and then escape.

The UCR insists that was not the educational institution which brought the country but it was they who handled the alleged agreement with the intention of coming.

The suspicion arises because, they said, foreigners acted “strange” in the only meeting they had with the representatives of the School of Biology and Office of International Affairs of the UCR. With them gathered Friday July 12 at the premises of the University and then disappeared from a hotel located in San Jose.

Since last year, these people who claimed to be researchers from the National Institute of Natural Sciences in Nepal , asked the UCR establish a cooperation agreement which aroused the interest of the School of Biology at the University and so were given a letter of invitation to the country.
Walter Marin, Deputy Director of the Office of International Affairs at the University of Costa Rica (UCR), said the question that arises now is that everything has been a ruse to enter Costa Rica. According to Marin, now doubt even the legality and existence of the Institute, since in the only meeting noted “strange things, like that of the four people, three did not speak because he seemed to not handle English. They were young, but the whole conversation was very vague as there were things that sounded incoherent, but thought it was a matter of language. Still did not think it could be something else, but since then had doubts. An example is that one of the experts was presented as a botanist, but the card said otherwise, the situation was very strange. ”

University now say they will be more stringent with such foreign requests. CRH

The director of the School of Biology, Gustavo Gutierrez, highlighting Marin coincided with that from the beginning there were unusual situations like the fact that they were very young. Gutierrez said he always come to the country representatives of older and higher charges, but they were rather young. In addition, their low level of English and the fact that only one could communicate aroused doubts in them. She also emphasized that perceived nervousness when asked why they had specialties and an apparent lack of interest on the work of UCR and the School, although it was assumed that was the goal for which they came.

“By insisting on what were the objectives of the visit, they insisted that it was exploring, and when asked why, they did not have very clear,” said Gutierrez.

Because of the irregularities noted at that meeting, Marin explained that they requested to be presented on Monday, July 15 at 8:30 am at the Office of International Affairs, to discuss cooperation technically they were interested. However, the men never came.

“Our immediate concern was the safety of foreigners, so he filed a complaint of disappearance in the Judicial Investigation Organization (OIJ). But there told us that we should wait 24 hours and therefore the complaint was filed until Tuesday afternoon, “said Marin.

Marin explained that when asked for information on the hotel, they were told that foreigners had bought a cell chip although they called several times never answered.

Another situation that Marin designated as “irregular” is that when he contacted the chief of them at the Institute, he did not give much importance to the disappearance and said he only had contacted him and that was that hotel was changing.

The Deputy Director of International Affairs at the University explained that saved his responsibility filing the complaint and noting that from now on will be “extra careful” with any other application, especially if it is a country that “gives signal which can claim is to obtain the Costa Rica visa, then go the other way and to use the institution for these purposes. ”

“We can not do anything, just cancel and give order to cancel any visas to officials of the Institute. That already asked Migrating from last week, now must verify all applications very well, “said Marin.

UCR Marin stressed that “not a single penny invested in this state delegation. All covered them, not paid or five, the UCR did not bring them came on their own. ”

crhoy.com spoke with the receptionist at the Hotel Meson del Angel, where they stayed the Nepalese and confirmed that the property came from the Saturday afternoon. According to Rodney Chacon, subjects left the luggage in the room and never returned.

Chacon said they left without paying, and when they were on Saturday said they would return to cancel. The hotel representative said the men called to say not return that night but the next day they would. However, they have not returned.

Immigration Director, Kathya Rodriguez confirmed that there will be an investigation of the case because although they followed all procedures given in this type of case, the situation should be analyzed. “In the time that I have to be in migration is the first case in which not meet the academic goal that promotes the authorization and we must enter into an investigation.”

Rodriguez explained that the University was commissioned to submit all documentation and that they checked backgrounds Interpol and that they had also verified that the documentation that came from India was legalized and apostilled by the Foreign Ministry and that all came to pass.

These Nepalese visa is 30 days and expire on 30th of this month so that migration has an alert. “If by an authorized leave would know, but we do not have yet … they could have left the country illegally, because our country is sometimes used as a bridge to the United States or Canada. They could be thinking of staying irregularly shaped but that’s funny because usually, when that happens, is when they have been expired visa and they were newcomers “.

In OIJ press office confirmed receipt of the complaint and who published the pictures of the missing, so that by the time the case is under investigation …

Written by Gabriela Contreras and published in Crhoy.com in Spanish. Above text is translated in English.